Comments Sought for Healthy Schools Facility Management Standard

A few more days remain for public comments on the Healthy Schools Campaign and Green Seal national standard draft for facility management practices for K-12 school districts and higher education institutions.

The national standard is the first drafted for healthy and sustainable school facilities and was created in partnership with school facility directors from the Healthy Green Schools and Colleges Steering Committee along with input from indoor air quality experts, technical experts, and other practitioners. It will “support facility management professionals operating with budget limitations” and “prioritizes measures that make a significant difference in indoor air quality without major capital investments.”

The standard has “a points-based scoring system that will encourage schools to keep improving at their own pace, with support from a network of facility management peers across the country who are on a similar journey.”

It also will include various facilities management practices for:

• Cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting
• Integrated pest management
• Sustainable purchasing
• HVAC and electric maintenance
• Indoor air quality testing and monitoring
• Sidewalk and pavement upkeep
• Training and communications.

Schools that reach the top level of achievement can apply for third-party certification, earning public recognition for their verified expertise in providing healthy school environments.

Individuals can submit comments to [email protected] by July 17.